Thriving on a responsive platform

If your B2B website is not responsive – meaning it adapts to the screen size of your visitor’s device – or does not have a separate mobile version, it will not make it to Google’s first search result page organically. Because Google demands your website works on mobile.

It would also be useless then to invest in paid search to point prospects to a page that simply won’t work on a smartphone or tablet.

Making your B2B website responsive

So let’s assume you already have or are planning to build a responsive website. What does this mean for your content?

One. Writing for a responsive website means writing for mobile. Simple: your mobile copy will work on desktop and laptop, but not vice versa.

Two. Prepare to jump over another hurdle: the many restrictions of mobile copy and content.

In short: you don’t have room for the words you need to explain the benefits of your rich, complex B2B offering. And we, as mobile users, love our devices but also find digesting content on them more difficult.

We do struggle on mobile devices

If the rule for webcopy is that you should delete half of your text, delete half again and then add bullets, things gets worse for mobile copy.

Always make your one key point above the fold. Don’t be tempted to have graphics or video push your key message below the top of your screen.

The one thing you want your audience to know comes first. Once again: this is your goal-per-page.

Adapt your lay-out: design for mobile. Use short sentences – one thought per sentence. 20 words or less.

Paragraphs exist of maximum 3 sentences, then add whitespace. Put your most important words on the left.

Use rich media. Words are linear, words can get complex. There are different ways to make your point: different media. Video, infographic, audio, animation, download.

They can be better suited to deliver a complex message in a more engaging way.

Offer downloads. Getting a visitor to download something can be a page goal. Especially in B2B you can win people over with an attractive and highly accessible page.

Then show them the way to the B2B details in a fine download. Yes, this is lead generation in a responsive environment.

Don’t ‘think’. Only trust data. Use A/B testing to find out what works best. Your analytics will help you find out what is successful on which pages, and why.

Concise does not mean simple, it means functional

We can and should go for a ‘mobile first’ approach to responsive websites. But, like this article argues, that does not mean we have to oversimplify. Function first, this means: user first. And then work out how that would work best on mobile.